Home Office

British Nationality: Assessments

Baroness Hamwee: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Murray of Blidworth on 30 December 2022 (HL4283) that the Home Office intended to set out their plans to review the Life in the UK handbook as part of wider nationality reforms “in the first half of next year”, and further to the letter dated 7 September 2022 from the then Minister for Safe and Legal Migration to the Justice and Home Affairs Committee, what is the timetable for their review of the handbook.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: We are still considering the timetable for potential work to review the handbook. We aim to set out the timetable for reviewing the handbook later this year.

Treasury

Treasury: Artificial Intelligence

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask His Majesty's Government how many automated decision-making systems currently in use by the Treasury are used (even partially) to make decisions that affect people’s legal rights or entitlements; and how many of those systems have publicly available equality impact assessments and/or data protection impact assessments.

Baroness Penn: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given on 18 July 2023 to question UIN 194020.

Parcels: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what customs declarations, payments and paperwork, businesses in Great Britain will be required to complete when sending postal packets to Northern Ireland when sending to (1) an individual consumer, and (2) a business.

Baroness Penn: Under the Windsor Framework, individuals in Northern Ireland will be able to receive parcels from businesses in Great Britain as smoothly as they do today, with no requirement on businesses for customs declarations, tariffs or presentation of goods to customs authorities. Instead, parcel operators will provide data to HMRC drawing on typical commercial information received from the sending business, under a new “authorised carrier” scheme. From 30 September 2024, parcels sent from a business in Great Britain to a business in Northern Ireland can be moved through the new green lane, where eligible. This will avoid tariffs and will ensure that these goods will no longer be required to move on the basis of international customs requirements, benefiting from radically reduced checks and data requirements. Had it been fully implemented, the old Northern Ireland Protocol would have required full customs declarations for all parcel movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Interest Rates: Companies

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide financialsupport to companies affected by rising interest rates.

Baroness Penn: The Government has introduced a number of measures to financially support businesses. These include:the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) provides all eligible businesses and other non-domestic energy users with a discount on high energy bills for 12 months from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.At Autumn Statement we announced a Business Rates package worth £13.6bn over the next five years to support high streets and protect businesses from large bill increases.the Recovery Loan Scheme has been extended until June 2024, providing businesses with up to £2 million of government guaranteed finance.Increasing the Employment Allowance from £4,000 to £5,000, which means that businesses and charities who had employer NICs bills of £100,000 or less in the previous tax year will be able to claim up to £5,000 off their employer NICs bills.Monetary policy is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England. The Bank of England has the Government’s full support as they take action to return inflation to the target of 2% inflation in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).

Economic Situation

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are takingto enhance the UK's economic competitiveness and resilience.

Baroness Penn: At the Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced a package of measures to increase the labour supply, incentivize business investment and improve productivity. The Chancellor has a plan to drive economic growth and boost competitiveness, centred on the 4Es of enterprise, education, employment and everywhere. UK businesses enjoy the lowest tax burden in the G7 and the most generous capital allowances regimes in the OECD. As a result, the World Bank ranks the UK as the best place to do business amongst large European nations and second in the G7. The Government remains committed to tackling risks and vulnerabilities and published its Resilience Framework in December 2022.

NatWest

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance, if any, they give to the management of NatWest about their expectations, in managing their 38.6% shareholding in that company.

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whether, as 38.6% shareholders in NatWest, they will request the company to investigate the briefings provided to the BBC about the alleged financial position of Nigel Farage.

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, given their 38.6% shareholding in NatWest, of the descriptions of the “purpose” and “values” of NatWest in the papers released to Nigel Farage.

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, given their 38.6% shareholding in NatWest, of the decision by NatWest to give no loans for new oil and gas projects.

Baroness Penn: The Government’s 38.6% shareholding in NatWest Group is managed at arm’s length and on a commercial basis by UK Government Investments (UKGI). UKGI’s role is to manage the shareholding, not the bank itself. As a shareholder in NatWest, the government does not intervene in the operational decisions of NatWest. NatWest’s board is responsible for the bank’s strategic and operational decisions. As set out at Budget, the Government intends to exit its shareholding by 2025-26 subject to market conditions and achieving value for money for taxpayers. The Government does have wider responsibilities for financial services regulation. As a matter of public policy, the Government has been clear that it is wrong to remove someone's bank account on the basis of their lawfully-held views, and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury reiterated that message on Wednesday 26 July with leaders from the banking and building society sector. The Government notes NatWest Group’s confirmation, on 25 July 2023, that they will be conducting an independent review into account-closure arrangements, and that, upon completion, the findings of that review will be made public[1]. [1] https://www.natwestgroup.com/news-and-insights/news-room/press-releases/our-updates/2023/jul/update-from-natwest-group-board-and-chief-executive-officer.html

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Deployment

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government whether any operational tours ofthe armed services are currently being conducted in Northern Ireland; and if so, what are the names of the operations and whether operational service medals will be awarded.

Baroness Goldie: The UK's Armed Forces conduct a number of tasks in support of the Police Service of Northern Ireland including explosive ordinance disposal. This support is a standing task provided under Military Aid to the Civil Authority (MACA) principles and mirrors the support provided to the Police in Great Britain. There are no plans to award operational service medals for this task.

Poland: Wagner Group

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the risk of the Wagner group attacking Poland from Belarus; and what steps they are taking with other NATO countries to support Poland in protecting its borders from any risk of an attack.

Baroness Goldie: The UK continues to condemn the Wagner Group's malign and destabilising impact wherever it operates.We continue to monitor threats from a range of state and non-state actors, including the Wagner Group, working with and through our partners to protect our security against shared threats.NATO maintains an appropriate force posture to ensure strong and credible deterrence and defence across the Alliance to protect and defend every inch of Allied territory.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Yemen: Human Rights

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government how they are supporting women’s groups and women human rights defenders in Yemen.

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing, and what practical steps they are are taking, to ensure civil society, including women's rights organisations, women’s human rights defenders and youth organisations, are involved in Yemen's peace process.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Yemen is a focus country in the new HMG national action plan on Women, Peace, and Security for 2023-27 and is one of our human rights priority countries.We champion and support the important role women, youth and civil society can play in securing lasting peace in Yemen, recognising the need for an inclusive peace process and consideration for marginalised groups.As a global leader on the Women Peace, and Security agenda, the UK funds projects supporting the work of grassroots women leaders and civil society organisations in communities across Yemen. For example, we supported the Yemeni Women's Pact for Peace and Security (through UN Women), which aimed to increase female leadership and inclusion in the peace processes.We continue to support the UN Special Envoy, who is actively engaging women in the peace process and involving a wide range of Yemenis. We fund a Senior Gender Adviser position and an Economist position in his office. Complementing the UN's efforts to deliver a durable and sustainable peace deal, the UK's Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) has supported a range of Track II (Influential Figures) and Track III (Civil Society and Local Groups) initiatives which promote a more inclusive political dialogue, including at the subnational level.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to consult with civil society organisations about the proposals they will put to the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) which is scheduled to hold its first session from 31 July to 11 August 2023 at the Vienna International Centre in Austria; and which civil society organisations have submitted their views to the Government in advance of PrepCom.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK engages in and encourages transparent consultation with civil society organisations on proposals for the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Senior UK officials held a briefing with civil society organisations on Tuesday 25 July 2023, which forty representatives attended. The UK delegation also intended to engage with civil society at the Preparatory Committee.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask His Majesty's Government whether UK Ministers and/or officials who represent the UK at the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will (1) participate fully in discussions with the Russian delegation about preparations for the 2023 RevCon, and (2) make representations to the Russian delegation about the invasion of Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: UK officials will deliver statements highlighting Russia's illegal war of aggression and condemning the Russian Government's reprehensible actions which are an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter. The UK will not have bilateral meetings with Russian state representatives but remains open to attending meetings among the five Nuclear Weapon States in order to fulfil our obligations under the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, and reduce risks around miscalculation.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask His Majesty's Government which Minister will represent the Government at the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), scheduled to hold its first session from 31 July to 11 August 2023 at the Vienna International Centre in Austria; and what proposals will the UK present to the PrepCom.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO Director for Defence and International Security and the UK Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament will represent the UK at the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference. The UK remains committed to the full implementation of the NPT. The UK is focused on increasing efforts to expand access to nuclear technology to support delivering the Sustainable Development Goals; and will also underline the importance of the non-proliferation system in protecting global security.

South Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government howmuch aid they have provided to South Sudan since the start of the conflict in that country earlier this year.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The 2018 Peace Agreement has prevented a return to large-scale national conflict in South Sudan, though there have been instances of sub-national violence this year. The Government of South Sudan need to ensure the Peace Agreement is implemented in full in order to bring justice and a lasting end to conflict to the people of South Sudan. The UK Government will provide £47 million of development assistance to South Sudan in the financial year (FY) 2023/24, and plans to increase this figure to £111 million in FY 2024/25. This assistance funds crucial health, education, humanitarian and peacebuilding work in South Sudan, as well as the placement of technical experts in both the ceasefire and Peace Agreement implementation monitoring mechanisms.

South Sudan: Armed Conflict

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) Sudanese Armed Forces, (2) Rapid Support Forces, and (3) the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North, about the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: UK officials have had various contacts with representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPMN-N) factions and other groups. In these contacts, we have demanded that the warring parties respect calls for a ceasefire, engage in a meaningful peace process and grant immediate humanitarian access. The UK is working with a range of international partners, including counterparts from the Quad (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, UK, US), African and European countries, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union (AU) and the UN, to get the parties to the negotiating table and end hostilities in Sudan. On 12 July, we announced a package of six sanctions under the Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, freezing the assets of three commercial entities linked to each party involved in the conflict. These sanctions target entities which the SAF and RSF have used to support their war efforts and are designed to press the parties to allow humanitarian assistance, end the violence and engage in a meaningful and sustained progress to peace.